Method of and machine for automatically wrapping articles



April 14, 1964 L. R. MUSKAT ETAL 3,

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METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY WRAPPING ARTICLES Filed July 5, 1961 17 Sheets-Sheet 11 April 14, 1964 1.. R. MUSKAT ETAL 3,128,584

METHOD OF Imp MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY WRAPPING ARTICLES Filed July 3, 1961 17 Sheets-Sheet l2 April 14, 1964 L. R. MUSKAT ETAL 3,128,584

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METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY WRAPPING ARTICLES Filed July 3, 1961 1'? Sheets-Sheet 17 United States Patent 3,128,584 METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR AUTO- MATICALLY WRAPPING ARTICLES Louis R. Muskat, Glenview, and King L. Klopfenstein,

Prospect Heights, 111., assignors to Triangle Package Machinery Company, Chicago, ilk, a corporation of Illinois Filed July 3, 1961, Ser. No. 121,519 8 Claims. (Cl. 53-184) The invention relates generally to methods of and machines for automatically wrapping articles, but relates more particularly to methods of and machines for wrapping articles which vary greatly in size and thickness.

As by way of illustration, and not by way of limitation, reference will be made to conditions which obtain in connection with the wrapping of articles or products in the so-called supermarkets, where it is necessary to wrap a large number of diiferent sizes of articles or products.

While there are machines for automatically wrapping articles or products, they are not well adapted to the needs of places such as supermarkets because of the amount of time required to change over from one size of article to another size and for other reasons. Hence, the general practice in supermarkets is to use semi-automatic wrapping equipment wherewith an operator first makes a partial wrap, usually with the aid of certain apparatus, and thereafter completes the wrap with other mechanism.

The foregoing practice is open to a number of objections.

One objection is that, because of the necessity of making a partial wrap by hand operation of the so-called semi-wrap, wrapping is relatively slow, so that at times it is necessary to have a number of operators working to produce the first or partial wrap.

Again, because of the relatively slow Wrapping operation, the labor costs are relatively high; because the skill of the operator is a factor in the quality of the wrap, uniformity is difiicult, if not impossible, to obtain, and the quality of the wrap is not as high as desired.

In wrapping according to the prior semi-wrap practice, individual sheets are used, of which there is a large number. This involves carrying all such sheet sizes in stock, which imposes a substantial inventory problem.

The general object of the invention is to provide a method of wrapping articles of various sizes in a more rapid, better, and less costly manner than has heretofore been possible.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine wherewith the method above referred to can be conveniently and efficiently practiced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of and machine for wrapping Various sizes of articles in which a relatively few rolls of stock of different width can be used, thus reducing the cost, overcoming inventory problems, and in other ways facilitating and improving the wrapping operation.

Again it is an object of the invention to provide a method and machine in which the quality of the wrap is not dependent upon the skill of the operator.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of and machine for wrapping various sizes of articles, utilizing but a few rolls of wrapping material stock of different width, so disposed that the operator can easily move the stock of any roll to article-wrapping position and, when in such position, be able to adjust the operation to wrap with such roll articles of one size and/ or articles which vary in size through a predetermined range.

One of the most difiicult objects to accomplish in the "ice wrapping of articles, especially when they are not of regular size and shape, is that of obtaining a tight wrap. It has been proposed heretofore to subject the completely wrapped article to a medium causing the wrapper to shrink, but this is not as effective as desired.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a method of and machine for applying tension to the film-wrapping material prior to the sealing operation as an aid to obtaining a tight wrap.

Various other objects and purposes of the invention will appear as the specification proceeds to describe the method of operation and mechanism for practicing the method as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of the input end of a wrapping machine embodying the preferred form of the invention and wherewith the wrapping method can be carried out;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary detail sectional view as taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1, but on a scale enlarged thereover;

FIG. 3 is a view, in side elevation, of the output end of the machine, from which the wrapped packages are discharged;

N0te.-FIGS. 1 and 3, when joined at the vertical lines XX thereon, show the full length of the machine.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through a part of the machine as taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3, but on a scale enlarged thereover, a wrapped package being indicated by dotted lines thereon;

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the wrapped package discharge conveyor as taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 3, but on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of that part of the machine appearing in FIG. 1 with parts broken away for illustrative purposes, as will be more fully described later;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal vertical fragmentary sectional view as taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the machine as taken on the line 88 of FIG. 1, but on a scale enlarged thereover;

FIG. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view through a part of the machine as taken on the line 99 of FIG. 1, but on a scale enlarged thereover;

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic horizontal sectional view .on theline 10-10 of FIG. 9, on a reduced scale, and

illustrates more particularly the endless chain and its training about associated sprockets, whereby the parts shown in FIG. 9 may be adjusted vertically;

FIG. ll is a fragmentary View, in side elevation, of parts associated with the main drive shaft in the lower central portion of FIG. 1, but on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 12 is a horizontal sectional view as taken on the line 1212 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary plan elevation of the parts appearing in the lower central portion of FIG. 6, but on a scale enlarged thereover, and will be explained in more detail later;

FIG. 14 is a vertical sectional view as taken on the line 1414 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the mechanism for moving the transverse pusher in a straight line movement between its two positions, and for moving the article or product from the input table to a position between the plates of a pair thereof, to a point in advance of the longitudinal pusher bar;

FIG. 16 is a detail fragmentary vertical sectional view as taken on the line 1516 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional View through three sets or pairs of film-supporting plates as taken on the line 17-17 of FIG. 6, but on a scale enlarged thereover;

FIGS. 18, 19, and 20 are detail sectional views through the sets of film-supporting plates as taken on the lines 13-18, 19-19, and 26-29, respectively, of FIG. 17;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a roll of the folded film strip used to provide upper and lower sections or plies thereof connected along one side or margin by a fold;

PEG. 22 is a fragmentary view in plan, on an enlarged scale, of parts appearing in the upper right-hand portion of FIG. 6, more particularly showing the parts whereby intermittent movement is imparted to the wrapped pack age from the longitudinal sealing station to the continuously driven chain conveyor at the output end of the -,machine;

FIG. 23 is a diagrammatic elevational view of the parts appearing in FIG. 22 when viewed from the lower side thereof;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of one of the feed members or dogs employed in the structure of FIGS. 22 and 23, which will be more fully described later;

FIG. 25 is a diagrammatic view that corresponds to a longitudinal section through the upper part of the machine and particularly illustrates the passage of angarticle or product from the input end through the wrapping and sealing stations, heat shrinkage tunnel, and along the output conveyor;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the finished package product produced in accordance with the method and the apparatus of the invention;

FIGS. 27 and 28 are sectional views through the finished package of FIG. 26 as taken on the lines 27-27 and 23-28, respectively, thereof;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a modified form of film strip roll that may be employed instead of the form shown in FIG. 21 by using slightly modified mechanism;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a finished package made with two separate associated film strips appearing in FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is a fragmentary view, in elevation, of parts associated with the pairs of film strip supporting plates for controlling the spacing between the plates of each pair and will be more fully described later;

FIG. 32 is a fragmentary vertical detail sectional view as taken on the line 32-32 of FIG. 31;

FIG. 33 is a fragmentary view, in plan elevation, of parts appearing in the central portion of FIG. 31;

FIG. 34 is a vertical detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, as taken on the line 3434 of FIG. 33',

FIG. 35 is a detail sectional view as taken on the line 3535 of FIG. 32;

FIG. 36 is a fragmentary perspective view of parts employed at both the cross-sealing and the longitudinal sealing stations, the bars thereof being shown in their sealing positions;

FIG. 37 is a vertical sectional fragmentary view as taken on the line 3737 of FIG. 36 through the longitudinal or side sealing bar and with the bars in o en position;

FIG. 38 is a view similar to FIG. 37 when certain lateral stretching bars for the film margins have gripped the same and before the sealing bars reach sealing position for sealing of film margins;

FIG. 39 is an enlarged detail view of parts appearing in FIGS. 37-38, better to illustrate the gripping of the film margins before pulling thereon to stretch the film before sealing;

FIG. 40 is a view similar to FIGS. 37 and 38 showing the manner in which certain film-stretching bars have swung outwardly and away from the associated sealer bars serving to pull on the margin of the film gripped between them and operative to stretch the film and hold the same in this condition while the sealer bars engage and seal that part of the film between the article or product and the tensioning bars;

FIG. 41 is a vertical detail sectional view as taken on the line 41-41 of FIG. 40;

FIG. 42 is a top plan view of the parts appearing in FIG. 41;

FIG. 43 is a vertical sectional view through the structure for performing the cross-sealing operation on the film with certain film-stretching bars and the sealing bars in the open position for permitting relative movement between the article or product and the film, under the operation of the longitudinal bar, to a point rearward of but adjacent the cross-sealing bars;

FIG. 44 is a vertical sectional view as taken on the line 44-44 of FIG. 43;

FIG. 45 is a view of portions of the sealing and stretching bars appearing in FIG. 43 in a changed relation, as will be later described;

FIG. 46 is a view similar to FIG. 43 showing the sealing bars and stretching bars in a changed position, as when the film has been pulled or tensioned laterally and the sealing bars have moved into sealing engagement with the stretched film;

FIG. 47 is a top plan fragmentary view of the parts appearing in FIG. 46;

FIG. 48 is a diagrammatic view of the parts associated with the cross-seal film-gripping bars for moving said bars toward and away from each other in timed relation to the movement of the associated cross-sealing bars;

FIG. 49 is a detail vertical sectional view through the transverse sealing bars and film-clamping means associated therewith on the line 49-49 of FIG. 36, the sealing bars, on a larger scale, being shown in the position which they occupy as they approach the sealing and cut-01f position; and

FIG. 50 is a detail vertical sectional view, through the longitudinal sealer bars and the film-clamping means associated therewith, on the line 5050 of FIG. 36, of the sealing bars, but on alarger scale, being shown in the position which they occupy as they approach the sealing and cut-off position.

General Description of Method and Machine Before proceeding with a detailed description of the steps of the method and the mechanism illustrated in the various views of the drawings, a general statement concerning the same-will facilitate an understanding thereof.

The left-hand end of'the machine as viewed in FIGS. 1, 17, and 25 will, for convenience, be termed the input end and the right-hand end (FIGS. 3 and 25), the output end.

At A of the input end of the machine there are supported for rotation three separate shafts, each one adapted to receive a roll of film, the film being preferably in the form of a once-folded sheet, so as to comprise upper and lower sections hinged along one edge by the fold (see FIG. 21) or in the form of separate strips (FIG. 29). As a matter of convenience the folded form will be used in the description. Each roll is of different Width, the greatest width roll to be used for the largest range size of packages; the second, or intermediate, width roll to be used for packages of intermediate range of sizes; and the smallest width roll to be used for packages in the smallest range of sizes.

The machine is designed automatically to wrap articles or products. The article or product to be wrapped is placed upon a supporting plate or table T, which is a part of the machine, on the operators side adjacent the input end. This table or plate is maintained, as later explained, in the same plane as the lowermost of two separator plates which hold, in spaced relation, the upper and lower sectrons of a once-folded film.

Separator Plate Arrangement At B, adjacent to but forwardly of the input end and above the several rolls of film, there are provided three pairs of separator plates. Mechanism is provided whereby the plates of each pair may be moved to and from one another whilst maintaining them in parallel relation.

Handle means C and associated mechanism are provided whereby any of the three pairs of separator plates can be swung into operative position, in which event the other two sets of plates are disposed radially outwardly of the operative position.

The functioning of one set of plates when the same is disposed in operative position will first be described, and, in this connection, the relationship of the plates to the transverse sealer and cutter will first be described.

Transverse Sealer and Cutter Assume that a pair of plates is in operative position, in which event film from one of the feed rolls will pass upwardly over a transversely positioned freely rotatable locator roll LR, one section of the film being disposed upon the upper side of the upper plate and the other section upon the lower side of the lower plate, so that the hinge part of the film, which is along one edge, is centrally disposed between the upper and lower plates.

At D, a short distance beyond the forward end of the separator plates, are transverse sealer-cutter mechanism and transverse film-tensioning means. When the jaws of the sealer are together, the plane of contact is substantially in the same horizontal plane as the top portion of the aforementioned rotatable locator roll LR. The top of the locator roll LR and the meeting line of the sealer are always in the same horizontal plane. Also, the separator plates are always located substantially equidistant above and below this horizontal plane. This is also true no matter which pair of separator plates is in operative position.

Vertical Control (E) Control E (FIG. 6) comprises a handwheel for providing vertical adjustment of certain of the parts whereby the turning of the handwheel results in moving the separator plates away from each other or toward each other whilst they are maintained in parallel confronting relationship, the direction of the rotation of the handwheel determining whether the movement of the plates will be toward or away from each other.

Movement of the handwheel E also simultaneously adjusts, in a vertical direction, all surfaces on which the article is supported and guided, the means for moving the article from the supporting table to and between the spreader plates, the longitudinal pusher, and the mechanism for intermittently advancing the package beyond the cross sealer to the longitudinal sealer and thence to the continuously operating output conveyor.

The article-supporting table or platform T and the lower plate of the pair of separator plates always move together so that they are always in the same horizontal plane, thus permitting the article to be wrapped to be moved laterally from the supporting table T onto the lower plate. It has already been explained that the upper and lower plates are always equally spaced from a horizontal plane in which the center line of the transverse sealer and cutter and on the top of the rotating locator LR at the input end of the machine are located. Since the lower plate and the supporting table or platform move together, it is obvious that the product or article platform, likewise, is disposed the same distance below the said central horizontal plane as the upper plate is disposed above that horizontal plane.

Bridge Plate and Extension Rails Between the transverse sealer and cutter and film ten sioner at D and the forward ends of the pair of plates, there is disposed a bridge plate P, the upper surface of which is in the plane of the upper surface of the lower separating plate and article-supporting platform. This bridge plate extends transversely of the machine and spans the distance between the forward edges of the separating plates and the adjacent transverse sealer and cutter at D.

Forwardly of the transverse sealer and cutter there is disposed a pair of extension rails R, the upper surfaces of which are disposed in the same plane as that of the bridge, the extension rails moving up and down so as to maintain them in the same plane as the lower productsupporting plate, bridge plate, and product-supporting table or platform, all of which, as before generally explained, are controlled by the movement of the handwheel E.

Control G Control G comprises a wheel mounted on a horizontally disposed shaft. Rotation of wheel G in a clockwise direction moves the rail closest to the operator and certain associated mechanism away from the fixed rail at the far side and also moves the longitudinal sealer bar assembly (to be described later) with it.

As the movable extension rail is moved toward or away from the fixed rail, linkage also moves a pusher member which is mounted for supplying movement on the articlesupporting table in a direction toward and away from the separator plates. In this way the pusher member, movable extension rail, and longitudinal side seal are synchronized to move together, so that when adjustment is to be made for the width of the package these members will all be properly positioned for operation.

Spaced between the movable extension rail and that side of the machine closest to the operator is a longitudinal side seal device SS having jaws which open and close at the proper time to seal the two marginal edge portions of the upper and lower sections of the sheet together and also to sever any excess film which extends in a direction away from the package and toward the operators side of the machine. The amount of severed film will depend upon the size of the package and the width of the particular film r011 then being used. Just before the longitudinal sealing operation takes place, mechanism functions to tension the film sections by pulling outwardly (toward the operators position) on longitudinal portions of the film adjacent the zone where the longitudinal seal is to be made.

When the product or article to be wrapped is placed on the supporting table and the machine is in operation, the pusher member described above pushes the product into position between the upper and lower separator plates (the product resting on the upper side of the lower separator plate) and then retracks to its position on the table to permit placement of another article or product on the product-receiving platform or table.

Longitudinal Product-Pushing Arm It will be understood that when the product or article to be wrapped is in position resting on the lower separator plate means are provided for moving the product longitudinally of the machine and toward the transverse sealer and cutter. At this time, due to a previous action of the transverse cutter and sealer, the two forward marginal edge portions of the upper and lower sections of the film will have been oross sealed. Hence, when the longitudinal article pusher arm starts moving forwardly, 'which is accomplished by means of properly timed mechanism, the trailing end of the article is engaged and pushed forward until the cross-sealed part of the film sections is engaged, whereupon the film and article move together to a position where the trailing end of the article is forwardly of the transverse sealer and cutter bars, whereupon the longitudinal pusher member reverses its movement, moving backwardly into a position between the upper and lower separator plates and the two jaws of the transverse sealer and cutter are brought into contact, thus causing a transverse sealed zone, which zone, of course, is then located adjacent the trailing end of the package which is forwardly of the sealer and forwardly of the bridge plate. It should be understood that just before the transverse seal is effected a transverse tensioning of the film adjacent the transverse sealing bars takes place. 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES, THE COMBINATION OF A PLURALITY OF MEANS, EACH FORMED AND ADAPTED TO HOLD IN SPACED ARTICLE-RECEIVING RELATION SECTIONS OF LIMITED PORTIONS OF A DIFFERENT ONE OF A PLURALITY OF SUPPLIES OF WRAPPING MATERIAL, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING EACH SAID SUPPLY OF WRAPPING MATERIAL WITH A LIMITED PORTION OF EACH SUPPLY SO POSITIONED THAT SECTIONS OF SUCH LIMITED PORTIONS ARE OPERATIVELY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRST-MENTIONED MEANS WITH WHICH THE PARTICULAR MATERIAL SUPPLY IS ASSOCIATED, AND MEANS FOR MOVING EACH OF SAID FIRST-MENTIONED MEANS AND THAT PORTION OF THE WRAP- 